In this report, meet the candidates running for Pennsylvania's 104th District.

In this report, meet the candidates running for Pennsylvania's 104th District.

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Updated: 1:19 PM EDT Apr 22, 2016

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WEBVTT >> AS PART OF OUR COMMITMENT 2016 COVERAGE, WGAL IS BRINGING YOU COVERAGE OF THE RACE THAT IMPACT SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. I'M JOINED NOW BY THE TWO REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR THE SEAT IN THE 104TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT. THIS IS A LARGE DISTRICT THAT COVERS DAUPHIN 11 IN COUNTY. -- AND LEBANON COUNTY. AND IN LEBANON COUNTY, IT COVERS EAS WITH ME ARE NAKE NATE CURTIS, . LET ME ASK YOU WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AGAINST A REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT? >> I FEEL THAT IT IS TIME FOR LIFETIME POLITICIANS TO PASS THE TORCH FOR A MORE MOTIVATED AND DEDICATED GENERATION. I KNOW I HAVE THE MOTIVATION TO WORK HARD FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE 104TH DISTRICT. >> HOW DO YOU REACT TO THAT? >> I THINK I HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB WITH MY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. I CONTINUED TO DO THAT. I ALWAYS HAVE AN OPEN DOOR POLICY. MY CONSTITUENTS COME TO ME. WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED, THE FIRST THING I TALKED ABOUT W LISTENING TO MY DISTRICT. NOW WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING IN THE SUSQUEHANNA TOWNSHIP. THERE'S ALSO A SHOOTING RANGE THAT WAS PROPOSED FOR SUSQUEHANNA TOWNSHIP. I'M DEATHLY NOT AGAINST GUNS, BUT I DON'T WANT A SHOOTING RANGE BETWEEN TWO PRIVATE SCHOOL. S. I DO RESPOND TO MY CONSTITUENTS. I FEEL I WILL CONTINUE TO THAT AND I DID DO A GOOD JOB. >> SPEAKING OF THINGS GETTING DONE AND MAYBE NOT GETTING DONE, IT WAS A VERY CONTENTIOUS BUDGET DEBATE THIS SEASON. WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY TO ACHIEVE A BUDGET SOONER? >> WE PASSED A BALANCED BUDGET THREE TIMES AND GAVE IT TO THE GOVERNOR, AND HE DECIDED NOT TO PASS IT. >> THERE WAS ALSO A COMPROMISE . >> SOME OF THE THINGS WE ASKED FOR WERE HONORED BY THE GOVERNOR. BASICALLY WE DID NOT RAISE PEOPLE'S IS. TAXES. >> WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY TO POSSIBLY GET A BUDGET IN PLACE SOONER? >> PRESIDENT LIN LINCOLN SAID TO STAND IN THE RIGHT PLACES TO STAND FIRM. THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN THE HOUSE AGAINST THE GOVERNOR'S RIDICULOUS PLANS. THEY DID A GOOD JOB OF PREVENTING THE UPPE BACK IN DECEMBER I TRIED REACHING REPRESENTATIVE SUE HELMS TO TALK ABOUT AN ISSUE. I GOT A VOICEMAIL THE NEXT DAY TELLING ME SHE DIDN'T HAVE TIME BECAUSE OF THIS BUDGET DEBATE. THAT HIT ME HARD IN MY HEART, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES ACROSS THE BOARD THAT DEAL OF VETERANS AND I WANTED TO SPEAK WITH MY REPRESENTATIVE AND I WAS PUSHED TO THE SIDE. SHE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO MEET WITH ME, BUT SHE HAD TIME TO RUN FOR DELEGATES AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE AGAIN, AND SHE HAD TIME TO ATTEND DIFFERENT GOP FUNDRAISING EVENTS. I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH WHAT HAPPENED. THAT IS ANOTHER BIG REASON WHY I'M IN THIS RACE. >> I DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR ME BECAUSE I CANNOT BE AT MY OFFICE AT THE SAME TIME. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY RETURN THE CALL, AND THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT THEY SHOULD CALL MY STAFF TO ME WITH YOU. THAT IS THE MESSAGE I GOT. THEN I HEARD YOU ARE RUNNING AGAINST ME, AND I THOUGHT THAT WOULD NOT BE THE RIGHT TIME TO CALL. I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP WITH VETERANS ISSUES, BECAUSE WE CONSTANTLY DO THAT. IF VETERANS NEED HELP, THEY COME IN, THEY TALK TO ME, AND WE TAKE A PROBLEM. >> WHEN A VETERAN CALLS A STATE REPRESENTATIVE THEY SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME IT IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT. I'D HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT VETERANS NEED. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK THE STATE CAN DO IN TERMS OF HELPING VETERANS? >> THERE ARE A LOT OF VETERANS RETURNING HOME FROM OVERSEAS THAT HAVE FOUGHT HARD FOR US. WHEN THEY RETURNING HOME, SOMETIMES THEY ARE FOUND WITHOUT JOBS OR HELP. I THINK THE STATE NEEDS TO DO MORE TO HELP OUR VETERANS BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HURRIEDLY HAS FALLEN BEHIND. >> SPEAKING OF JOBS, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR MARCH AND STOP A BIT IN PENNSYLVANIA WE JUST HEARD. STILL BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE NEED TO DO TO GROW JOBS IN PENNSYLVANIA? >> WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR TAX STRUCTURE. TALK ABOUT RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE, I'M DEATHLY NOT FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT DOES NOT HAVE JOBS. EMPLOYERS CANNOT HELP TO PAY MORE MONEY. THEY WILL HIRE LESS IF THEY HAVE TO HAVE A HIGHER MINIMUM WAGE. >> YOU THINK THE MINIMUM WAGE SHOULD STAY WHERE IT IS? >> I THINK IT SHOULD STAY WHERE IT IS. MINIMUM WAGE WASN'T MEANT FOR -- IT WAS MEANT FOR A LOT OF THE SCHOOLKIDS TO, AND WORK. PEOPLE WORK TOD AND I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE ONLY DO AS MUCH THEY HAVE TO. I THINK EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR GOOD EMPLOYEES. I JUST TALK TO SOMEONE NOT TOO LONG AGO AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T GET A JOB. IF I HAVE TO PUT MONEY TO SAVE MY FAMILY, I'M GOING TO GO TO WALMART AND WORK. I'M NOT AGAINST THAT. THERE ARE JOBS OUT THERE, THEY JUST NEED TO DO THEM. SUSAN: THE INSURANCE PEOPLE WILL ARGUE IT IS PRETTY DIFFICULT TO FEED A FAMILY ON AND WAIT. WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO IT. ? >> I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE EITHER. YOU RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE AND IT WILL INCREASE THE PRICE OF PRODUCTS. I'M A BIG FAN OF SMALL BUSINESSES AND I SUPPORT OUR SMALL BUSINESS AND. RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE WOULD HURT THEM AND HURT THEIR BUSINESS. SUSAN: WHERE YOU STAND ON PENSION REFORM? >> I BELIEVE THE 401(K) STYLE PEN IS A GOOD OPTION. I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH IT. IT CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF VERY QUICKLY AND VERY SOON BEFORE THIS DEFICIT INCREASES. SUSAN: IS IT SOMETHING YOU SEE THE HOUSE ADDRESSING IN THE NEAR FUTURE? >> WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW. WHAT I FEEL IS WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DO IT. WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR PROMISES. THEY SIGNED CONTRACTS, WE NEED TO ABIDE BY THAT. HOWEVER, I DO THINK WE NEED TO PASS A PLAN FOR NEW EMPLOYEES. WHEN THE NEW EMPLOYEES COME IN, THEY CAN MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT WE ARE GOING TO OFFER THEM. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO IT RIGHT NOW. SUSAN: THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE. WE APPRECIATE IT. REMEMBER THE PENNSYLVANIA PRIMARY IS APRIL 26. KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST ELECTION NEWS ON WGAL.COM.

COMMITMENT 2016: Meet PA's 104th District candidates

In this report, meet the candidates running for Pennsylvania's 104th District.